The Central Park fairground that a month ago was hosting a festival of books, turned into a playground of colours on Saturday. The colours were all of marigold petals and of the dupattas that every other guest had wrapped around their necks.
Marwari Sanskriti Manch was co-hosting Holi Mahotsav for the ninth spring and this time the event was happening after a gap of two years due to the intervening pandemic. “Putting such big events together is almost like organising a wedding for which work has to start weeks ahead. I help out my husband in my own way, making calls and sending out invitation cards. So it felt really empty before Holi these two years. We had to be content playing on the roof of our BB Block building with our 35-40 neighbours and family members,” said Chanda Prahladka, wife of chairman of the Manch Lalit Prahladka.
A pushcart decked up with flowers provides a photo opportunity.
This year was therefore special. “We were witnessing extra enthusiasm among members. So we printed more coupons. Still, we ran out two days before the event and still calls were coming,” smiled Niranjan Kumar Agarwal, president of the Manch.
While in other years, the celebration is done with kavi sammelan or bhajan or dance, this year the accent was on flowers in a big way.
“We ordered one tonne of marigold. The petals were separated from the stalk for the shower. Ten machines are installed, two in front of the stage and the rest among the spectators. They propel petals at a speed of 10kg per second,” said Lalit Prahladka, chairman of the Manch.
This year, the organisation had tied up with the cultural wing of Jain International Traders Organisation (Jito), and the budget was Rs 40 lakh, more than double of other years. “Our members are mostly in south Calcutta but there is no such space to celebrate as there is in Salt Lake. So it made sense for us to host this programme together,” said Jito Administrative Training Foundation chairman Vinod Dugar.
The decision to play phoolon ki Holi, pointed out Bhaven Kamdar, chairman of Jito, Calcutta chapter, aligned with both tradition and green practices. “Mathura (particularly Banke Bihari temple) is known for playing phoolon ki Holi, which takes place some days ahead of the actual festival. Playing with petals also ensures that water is not wasted,” he said.
The evening started with dhaap dhaamal, a musical programme featuring Rajasthani and Haryanvi traditional songs by a local group called Bawalia. “We are amateurs who are involved in other professions. For two or three months ahead of Holi, we practise twice a week. Our mission is to keep alive the music rooted in our culture among the youth. The average age group of our members is 30 to 40 years,” said a lead dancer, who coaxed spectators to join them on the dance floor in front of the stage.
The highlighted event of the evening was Maharaas by a group from Vrindavan. A total of 25 performers brought the stage alive with song and dance, performing raas leela of Radha-Krishna. And in course of their performance, the machines showered petals on everyone.
Local MLA and minister Sujit Bose inaugurated the programme while Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation chairman Sabyasachi Dutta also dropped by.
Dinner and a Holi-special drink of thandai rounded up the evening.